Hi Maria,
How are you doing? Thanks for sharing with us. I know where you're coming from. When I started the program, I was doing it to work on my anxiety and panic attacks at work. However, it wasn't long before I realized that it was effecting other areas of my life. Out of nowhere awhile ago, I felt really anxious when I went out for dinner with some close friends. I was upset at the situation (what do I have to be anxious about) and frustrated with myself (why can't I deal with this better). It just caught me by surprise because it happened in an unexpected situation. After feeling really down on myself for awhile, I managed to accept this is part of my anxiety and continued with the program. We can't control everything, but we can learn how and become more skilled at responding effectively! You see, that night out, I was so caught by surprise by my anxiety, I didn't use any of the skills I'd normally use (i.e. deep breathing, anxious thought responses, etc, so my anxiety spiralled further and further out of control!). But now, I've accepted the possibility that my anxiety could pop up unexpectedly, so I'll probably be more mindful of practicing my skills! Hope this helps!
Take care!
